To degree or not to degree?
This is a question I've been asked countless times. Full disclosure here, I went to a four year program and graduated with a degree. However, my viewpoint has shifted over the years and my answer might surprise you.
I'm going to share some info and let you choose for yourself which you feel would be the best scenario for you.
Let me break this down for you and you can decide for yourself. The average cost of going to a reputable arts University ranges between $50,000 - $60,000+ per year depending on the school.
That means that a four year program (at a $55K per year average) is going to run you $220,000 (minimum). This doesn't include any extras. Most universities don't include housing and food in the tuition. In short, it's freaking expensive.
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If you go to University and spend 4 years getting a degree in something other than your chosen field yet graduate and dedicate your life to becoming a professional artist, your degree becomes, in essence a piece of paper hanging on your wall. You would have spent about $220,000 for that piece of paper and not only that you'll most likely have student loans to pay off.
You're starting your career already in debt.
Now let's look at someone who chose to go after their goal immediately.
They aren't' spending that $220K on tuition. They can take that money, move to the city of their dreams, study with the greatest teachers in the world, be around those who are actually doing the things they wish to do and be four years ahead of those who are in University. Do you get that? They have a 4 year head start without any college debt or student loans and have been studying and living in and around the greatest in their chosen field.
In all fairness I know people who have taken both paths to great success, I'm merely pointing out some things that I've seen over the years and how I see the currently the entertainment industry from an artists viewpoint.
But wait, shouldn't I have a degree to fall back on if I "don't make it'?
First if you're starting your career with that outlook then you should pick a different profession. And second, when do you decide that you haven't made it? How much time are you going to give yourself to reach your goal as a professional artist? 5 years? 10 years? 15 years? 20 years?
This is a harsh truth but it is a truth. The average person graduates college at almost 25 years old (24.8 years to be exact). If you spend 10 years pursuing your dream as an artist and then decide it's not for you, you'll be 35 years old.
You're now going to head into a new world, a new profession and try to get a job. Sure you might have a degree in accounting or education but now you're competing against people who have JUST graduated, are 10 years younger than you and in short have 10 more years to dedicate to a corporation or company.
Even if you take a gig as a teacher, many schools require a masters degree to teach (which means an additional 3-4 years after you decide that you need a new career).
What if you thought about it this way. Take that time and money that you would have spent at University and think of yourself as a business. You are starting a brand new business and you are the product of that business. Invest in yourself and hit the ground running.
You can also kill two birds with one stone. I know many people who got degrees while working on a show. They take online courses during the day or in the evening and they have a different outlook on things by that point in their career.
In short you want to give yourself the best chance of reaching your goal of becoming a professional artist in one of the most difficult professions there is in which to make a living.
The choice is ultimately yours. Again, I did go to University and I did learn.
But I will also tell you that the place I learned the most about my craft was on the stage. The act of doing the thing you want to do, the practical side of creating is where you'll truly learn.
So no matter which path you choose...go for it. It's your life, it's your destiny.
The choice is yours!
If you want to go in depth on this and learn the things they never teach artists, grab a free chapter of my book by clicking here.
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